6 Saints players earning rave reviews at training camp

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The New Orleans Saints kicked off their first training camp practice in pads on Monday, and some players impressed more than others. Here’s a quick look at who was talked up after their first practice session that actually looked like real football:

1. DB P.J. Williams, #26
Williams produced a pair of takeaways in Monday’s practice, forcing a fumble out of backup running back Dwayne Washington (recovered by new defensive lineman Margus Hunt) and intercepting a too-high pass that tipped off of rookie wideout Juwan Johnson’s hands. He also did so while lined up at both safety and cornerback. After practice, Sean Payton had this to say about Williams’ big day and the cross-training between positions:

“Well I like the fact that he’s smart, he’s got good ball skills. He had a caused fumble today and an interception today, so he’s one of those players that has good football I.Q., so it’s good to give him some additional work. He’s also taken snaps at playing in the nickel, he’s got some versatility.”

2. WR Emmanuel Butler, #18
Butler was dominant in solo work, winning both of his reps against second-year pro Ceedy Duce (formerly known as C.J. Gardner-Johnson). What’s impressive is that Butler beat his opponent with both speed and strength, streaking down the sideline and outmuscling him at the catch point in turn.

Hopefully he’ll translate those big moments into team drills, and earn a spot on the opening-day roster. The Saints only have a few game-proven receivers on hand between Michael Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders — Deonte Harris might be a prodigy in the return game, but it’s unclear how big a role he’ll command on offense — and Tre’Quan Smith has a lot to prove. If Butler impresses as much in camp as he did last year, he just might be the guy to fill out the depth chart.

3. CB Janoris Jenkins, #20
Jenkins’ best moment saw him flash past the line of scrimmage on a corner blitz to swat down a screen pass from Taysom Hill, targeting Alvin Kamara. But he also held his own in one-on-one drills against Emmanuel Sanders with tight coverage and another pass breakup.

It’s early, but seeing Jenkins retain his rare ball skills into his ninth year in the NFL is a great sign. He’s picked off multiple passes every season back to 2014, and set a new career high in 2019 with five interceptions. He and Marshon Lattimore have the makings of a tremendous one-two punch at cornerback (Lattimore also recorded an interception on an underthrown deep pass from Taysom Hill).

4. P Blake Gillikin, #4
That’s right: an undrafted rookie punter who was guaranteed nothing more than a $5,000 signing bonus turned some heads on Monday. Gillikin dropped three punts inside the 5-yard line during special teams drills, with NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill noting his hangtime twice surpassed 4.7 seconds — an impressive feat even by NFL standards. For context, Pro Football Focus charting back in 2014 had a 4.44-second average hang time on those targeted punts deep in enemy territory.

Gillikin shouldn’t threaten Thomas Morstead’s job security, but the combination of his obvious skill and the expanded 16-strong practice squad mean the Saints could keep him around in case of an emergency later this year. He’s certainly set the right tone early on.

5. DE Cameron Jordan, #94
It kind of goes without saying that the best players stood out the most, but it’s always nice to be reminded that Jordan doesn’t really know how to let off the gas. He blew up the first play run by Drew Brees in team drills by crashing through the offensive line, earning a sack. A couple of minutes later, he followed up by splitting a called sack with David Onyemata. And after practice, he shouted out rookie linebacker Zack Baun, who also disrupted Brees in the 11-on-11 session. Jordan has been vocal about his readiness for the season to start all summer, and so far, he’s backing up the big talk.

6. QB Jameis Winston, #2
He had a couple of low moments, sure — Winston targeted one pass too high for the 6-foot-4 Juwan Johnson, which bounced off his receiver’s hands and into P.J. Williams’ mitts — but on the whole Winston turned in the strongest day of the three Saints quarterbacks. He certainly showed off the strongest arm of the trio, and flashed great touch with on-point completions far downfield to Emmanuel Butler and Tre’Quan Smith. The story for Winston now is the same as it was when the Saints first signed him: if he can cut down on the turnovers, he just might be an upper-tier quarterback.